


Get Smart - VirtueMoir Style

by Athena_VM



Category: Scott Moir/Tessa Virtue - Fandom
Genre: Developing Friendships, Eventual Romance, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Spies & Secret Agents
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-12
Updated: 2019-03-06
Packaged: 2019-10-26 20:37:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17753078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Athena_VM/pseuds/Athena_VM
Summary: Tessa and Scott are just out of spy school and have joined CONTROL - a top secret organisation based in Toronto. Join them as they get their first taste of full time work as spies and learn to work together.





	1. New colleagues

**Author's Note:**

> I adore Get Smart (the original series) and seeing the photo of Tessa and Scott the other day really made me want to try to write my first AU! Except I couldn't have bumbling agent 86 here. Scott needed a smoother, suave but still adorable and rather dorky alter ego as Agent 14.
> 
> By way of introduction to the genre it is based on, Get Smart was on air between 1965–1970. It's an American comedy TV series satirizing the secret agent genre. In its time, it won seven Emmy Awards and was nominated for an additional fourteen Emmys and two Golden Globe Awards. 
> 
> The relevant characters from Get Smart are:  
> Maxwell Smart (Agent 86) - Scott (Agent 14)  
> Agent 99 (they never told us 99's real name in the series) - Tessa (Agent 17)  
> The Chief (Chief of CONTROL - a secret organization that is fighting against evil) - Guess! Just kidding, it's Patrice. Marie-France also appears.  
> Larabee - The Chief's assistant - yet to be introduced as a character in this AU.  
> Siegfried, Vice President of Public Relations and Terrorism for KAOS (KAOS is a secret organisation, they are the evil that CONTROL is fighting against) - it will be so much fun to introduce a Siegfried character here!  
> Shtarker - KAOS agent, Siegfried's assistant - will be fun to introduce Shtarker!

 

      

Agents 86 and 99                                              Agents 14 and 17

 

Scott Moir bounced on the balls of his feet with excitement. It was his first day as a greeting card salesman. At least that was the cover story. After a grueling selection process, he had been accepted into working for CONTROL, a secret organization with headquarters in Toronto. He was a spy and he intended to be a good one.

He stood in the blandly decorated office waiting for instructions for his first case. The Chief entered and he almost snapped to attention. The Chief was a thin man, in his forties, with a head of wild dark brown curls. He wore a grey suit. He sat down at his desk, shuffling a few papers around and opening the safe beneath the desk that held top secret dossiers regarding current and upcoming assignments.

“Agent 14,” said the Chief, inclining his head to Scott. “Ready for your first case?”

“Yes sir!” said Scott.

“Good, sit down,” said the Chief.

Scott sat and waited for instructions, ready to take notes.

“You won’t be needing that,” said the Chief, glancing at his notebook.

Scot glanced down at it, hurriedly putting it away.

“No sir,” he agreed.

The Chief started speaking, telling him about missing parts of a top secret prototype jet. The parts were going missing from the facility building the jet and no one had been able to work out why…or where the parts were being taken.

“Am I going undercover sir?” asked Scott, having nodded his understanding.

“We will get you in undercover, yes. You’ll act as a maintenance worker, but don’t worry, you won’t need to actually do any maintenance. It just means you’ll have access to areas for staff only and be able to look around. Make sure you’re discrete. I’ll be assigning you a partner for this assignment also,” said the Chief.

“I work best alone, sir,” said Scott immediately.

“You will work with Agent 17, I am sure you can work well together,” said the Chief, effectively dismissing his comment.

Scott tried not to speak again, not wanting to be difficult on his first day. He didn’t want a partner but if he had to have one, he was willing to try.

“Will I meet Agent 17?” asked Scott, as he was dismissed with instructions to drive to the facility and present for work the next morning.

“Agent 17 will meet you there,” said the Chief.

“Yes sir!” said Scott.

He turned and left the office, adjusting his suit. He wanted to look professional on his first day so he wore a tailored black suit, white shirt and a black tie. His broad shoulders filled out the suit jacket nicely and his new shoes clicked across the floor towards his small office.

There was barely anyone around, CONTROL Headquarters rather quiet on this Monday afternoon. Larrabee sat at his desk in the outer office typing away on his keyboard and several secretaries sat at their desks, sending appreciative looks at Scott as he walked past.

His hazel eyes hardly noticed them, so intent was he on ensuring he did well on his first case. He was looking down at the dossier he had been given, finding a detailed layout of the facility, and he was keen to get back to his office to study it.

 

The next morning, he drove to the facility, had his ID checked (a fake ID of course). He was Bill Smith while he was there. Having hired CONTROL to investigate, only the most senior management of the facility knew his identity.

Scott changed into a maintenance uniform, the blue uniform reminding him of a mechanic's clothing. He had a look around, pretending to inspect a plane while he surreptitiously watched what was going on around him. He took note of which workers were in the vicinity and what their roles seemed to be. The prototype was kept in a high security area and Scott’s pass had been modified so that he could access it. He couldn’t just go in there though, he needed to bide his time and wait for the opportunity to present itself. If it didn’t, he planned to sneak in at night.

He spent the morning looking around, learning a bit about the staff, building profiles of each in his head. He was startled when a female voice spoke behind him, giving the secret code that agents used between themselves.

“When the moon is full, the tide is high."

That was a woman speaking, he certainly hadn't expected that. He'd expected an older male agent, not what sounded like a young woman.

“When the moon is full, the tide is high," said the voice again, clearly impatient with his lack of response.

He turned to see a petite woman with her dark hair in a bun. She wore a maintenance outfit too and had the greenest eyes he’d ever seen. He gaped at her for a moment, he wondered how a gorgeous woman like that would choose to be an agent and finally managed to make his mouth form words.

“Uh…when the moon is full, the tide is high,” he repeated.

She nodded, appraising him with inquisitive eyes. “Agent 14?” she asked.

He nodded. “Agent 17?” he checked.

She nodded, pretending to look at his clipboard regarding the maintenance of the plane. He said nothing, handing it over to her and then pulled out an Ipad and powered it up. He loaded the maintenance logs and started scrolling, looking for anything that may stand out.

She stayed silent, wandering around the plane, comparing it with the sketches she’d seen of the prototype.

“What’s your name?” asked Scott quietly as she returned to his side.

“It’s Tessa. You?” asked Tessa.

“Scott,” he said.

“It’s great to meet you, Scott,” said Tessa, her eyes on his making him barely able to focus.

“You too,” he said.

“Let’s get to work,” said Tessa. She picked up a screwdriver and started opening a panel underneath the plane.

“You know how to do that?” asked Scott, his eyebrows raised.

“I know a lot of things,” replied Tessa, her eyes fixed on the panel she’d opened.

Scott tried not to stare, growing more curious about her. She was nothing he’d expected from a secret agent. She was gorgeous enough to be a model and he could tell she had an amazing body, even if it was hidden beneath the maintenance uniform she wore. He must have been staring too long because she gave him a curious look.

“Oh uh…I think we need to plan how to get into the high security area without raising suspicions from the workers,” he said, hoping she would buy it.

Her eyes appraised him, clearly not quite believing him but she closed the cover she’d opened, carefully replacing all the screws and then started filing out a maintenance sheet.

“What are you doing?” asked Scott, bewildered.

“I touched the plane, I need to write it down on the maintenance sheet so they know that this panel has been opened and the screws replaced,” said Tessa, as if it was obvious.

“Right, okay,” said Scott.

“Okay, I’m done. Let’s go this way,” said Tessa, pointing to the door on the back wall.


	2. Partners

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How does this partnership work? Can they solve their first case?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the comments and kudos! I appreciate it. This is the first AU I've tried and it's kind of fun mixing VM into a Get Smart universe!

There wasn’t much in the way of accommodation near the base, CONTROL had booked them into a quiet motel nearby. It wasn’t exactly what Tessa had in mind. It was basic but clean. Scott’s room was next door and she did a quick sweep of her room for any listening devices or hidden cameras. Satisfied the room was clean, she looked up at the knock on the door.

Looking out the peephole, she saw Scott. She opened the door, letting him in quickly.

“I came to check your room was clean,” he said, holding a detector.

Tessa laughed. In the time it had taken her to check her room, he’d obviously checked his and was now there to do the same to her room.

“I checked it just now,” she said.

“Oh,” said Scott, embarrassed. “Right, sorry.”

“No, no, it’s fine. Thanks for thinking to check for me,” said Tessa, touched.

“Are you under the impression I’m a damsel in distress?” she teased.

Her eyes were bright, she was clearly amused and he chuckled, glad she was amused rather than offended. For some reason, he needed to protect her. 

“Clearly you can take care of yourself,” said Scott, smiling.

“I’m an agent Scott, we did all the same training, just because I’m a girl doesn’t mean you need to protect me,” said Tessa.

“Sorry, I’ll try to remember that,” said Scott with a laugh.

“So do you prefer Scott or 14?” asked Tessa.

“Scott,” he replied. “You? 17 or Tessa?”

“No one really calls me by my full name, they call me Tess,” said Tessa.

“Okay, Tess,” said Scott.

“So what do you suppose is available in this place for food?” she asked, wrinkling her nose.

“Not much. Want to drive into town and get some food?” asked Scott.

“Sure,” said Tessa.

They drove to town, finding a diner with great burgers. They enjoyed the food and started to get to know one another a bit, though Tessa remained a bit of a mystery to Scott. She was careful about what she revealed about herself. Scott got her talking about her education and career until she’d become a spy and he was fascinated to hear about her interest areas. She was well versed in many topics. He found her intriguing as she animatedly discussed an article she'd read on advancements in mechanical engineering. He knew nothing about her family or childhood, she offered no such information.

He’d studied finance before he found he needed to do something else and ended up becoming a spy. Tessa had studied engineering and he now understood how she was so handy with tools.

 

Over the next few days they got to know more about the facility and the way it worked as well as getting to know some of the workers and their stories. They also got to know more about each other and the way they each worked. It was hard being put together as partners when they’d never met before, but they found they fell into an easy rhythm.

They complemented each other, Scott was very logical in his approach but didn’t always think through all possible consequences, while Tessa did. She was more rigid with the rules while Scott was more flexible. Scott was amazed the more he got to see Tessa in action and quickly learned any pre-conceived ideas he had about what someone as pretty as Tessa would be like were far from the truth. She was very down to earth, highly intelligent and a bit mysterious.

They started planning their entry into the high security area, deciding to go at night and have a look around.

“I think that Matthews guy is in on it,” said Scott as they had dinner.

Tessa swallowed her mouthful of lasagna. “I think you’re right about that. I suspect Michael too.”

Scott nodded thoughtfully. “I agree.”

“We’ll go check out the high security area…around 11?” he added.

“You’re reading my mind,” said Tessa, nodding her agreement.

 

Tessa and Scott made their way into the now dark and silent facility. The silence was eerie as they carefully walked down the hallways using only a small flashlight to guide their way to the high security area. The silence stopped the moment they opened the door to the secure area, the sound of a machine of some sort breaking the stillness. They looked at each other, wondering what they were about to stumble upon.

Michael Leonard and Phil Matthews were working next to the prototype jet. Sleek and dark, it would no doubt be a plane used by stealth. Tessa and Scott weren’t noticed as they crept through the door and hid themselves in the shadows, both men working with their backs to the door, clearly not expecting any interruptions.

Tessa moved to take a look at what they were doing, it appeared that parts were being removed – original parts, but also being replaced – copies or parts that belonged to other types of aircraft. So this was the plan, to steal the original parts and try to hide it by replacing them. But clearly the missing parts had been noticed or they would not have been called in to investigate. Where would the parts be taken though? The plan was still unclear.

Little did they know that the plan would start to unfold in front of them. They squeezed further into a dark corner, hiding behind some crates as footsteps were heard. Then voices, they identified that three different men had arrived. Once again, Tessa moved to peek, trying to see while Scott tried to grab her by the shirt so she wouldn’t go too far. She shot him a look, rolling her eyes.

“Three men, all wearing hooded jumpers, average to tall heights,” she whispered as she squeezed back in next to him.

The voices carried in the otherwise silent facility, the men seemingly discussing someone who was buying the parts and the time for drop off.

“It’s KAOS,” said Scott, listening intently. “KAOS wants these parts.”

Tessa nodded, she’d understood the same and Scott started to call for backup, realizing that the two of them could not take on 5 men and who knows how many other KAOS agents could be around. The men continued talking while they worked and soon footsteps neared the door again, making Tessa and Scott hold their breaths while the steps passed and they realised the three men in hooded jumpers had exited.

The two men continued working and Scott and Tessa silently decided to go after the men who had left and allow CONTROL to take care of the two men there. They crept out, silent and focused on their task. Their presence had still not been noticed and they hoped to keep it that way for as long as possible. 

They stealthily followed the men, hiding and moving as they were able, trying to stay out of sight. They followed them to another room which was full of crates and watched as the men got to work packing parts into boxes. They exited the room more quickly than they could have anticipated and Tessa and Scott looked at each other as they heard the door close again.

“Cover me,” said Scott, creeping out from behind the crate a little to see where the hooded figures had gone.

“Wait for back up,” said Tessa. “It’ll be here soon.”

“I’m going,” said Scott, eager to get to the bottom of it and do a good job on their first case.

“Scott!” hissed Tessa.

“Shit,” she muttered as he moved away from the crate they were hiding behind.

She followed closely, trying to provide cover, gun drawn as her eyes darted around in the shadowy light to see where the three men had gone.

Scott moved slowly, inching his way closer to the high security door, the men having returned here. His gun was drawn to protect himself and Tessa and to be able to react quickly if needed. One of the men turned unexpectedly, catching sight of them and letting out a yell. They’d been seen and the men all took up positions that hid them from immediate view, the facility filled with enough crates, equipment and vehicles that this was not difficult to do.

He and Tessa ducked behind a crate, both breathing hard as their first mission took a more dangerous turn.

A gun shot rang out, missing Scott and he looked for the source, seeing movement out of the corner of his eye. He fired back and there was a chorus of gun shots that followed as he ducked behind another crate.

“T,” he said quietly, thinking she was right behind him.

She wasn’t, and he looked around, heart hammering with fear that she’d been hit. He breathed a sigh of relief as he saw Tessa crouching behind one of the vehicles.

Unfortunately his distraction in searching for Tessa meant that he wasn’t watching his surroundings and he heard the gunshot the same time he saw Tessa’s eyes widen in fear and the sting of the bullet hitting him. Seeing that his shot had been somewhat successful, the KAOS agent who had fired ran off. They figured that CONTROL had called in back up and it was only a matter of time before the place would be swarming with CONTROL agents.

Scott grunted in pain, clutching his upper arm.

“Shit,” said Tessa, running over to Scott, gun drawn.

He was clutching his upper arm, blood visible on his fingers.

“Shit,” she said again.

She tried not to panic and remember her training.

“Scott,” she said, making sure he wasn’t going to faint, as she reached into her back pocket and pulled out a clean cloth to tie around his wound.

“I’m okay,” he said through gritted teeth.

She wound the cloth around, and he hissed from the pain. She apologized softly, knowing it would be hurting but needing to try to stem the flow of blood.

She couldn’t see him in pain for some reason and her hand reached for him, without her consciously making a decision to touch him. It seemed natural to reach out and caress his cheek to comfort him. He managed a smile and then moved to get up.

“Let’s go,” he said.

They both ran in the direction they’d seen the KAOS agents run toward and looked around, Tessa covering both her and Scott with her gun drawn.

They searched the area, knowing that KAOS had a head start once Scott had been shot.

“Tess!” said Scott, spotting a man running down a dark hallway as they passed.

Tessa ran after him, soon closing the distance. The man turned and clumsily fired, missing Tessa but Scott was fast, gun out and firing the moment he thought Tessa might be in danger. He shot low, and his shot hit the man on the lower leg, causing him to fall to the ground with a yell. Tessa ran over, checked the man’s pockets and swiped a USB she found, shoving him down roughly as he tried to move again.

Just then a group of CONTROL agents ran in, they’d already taken the other men into custody. The KAOS agents stood there glowering at them all, in handcuffs. Another agent ran over to the cuff the man on the ground and they then got him up, the man cursing from pain.

 

Scott was getting his wound tended to in the CONTROL medical facility, it was fortunately just a flesh wound. His upper arm had been cleaned and a bandage was being wrapped around it. Tessa peeked inside the room, seeing Scott sitting on the table as the doctor finished wrapping his wound. Scott looked up, seeing her.

“Hey, sorry, I’ll come back,” said Tessa, embarrassed.

He was shirtless as the doctor tended to his upper arm and she averted her eyes, not wanting to embarrass him.

“It’s fine, come in, T,” said Scott, not uncomfortable in the slightest.

“T?” she asked, eyebrows raised.

“Oh, uh, sorry. I guess I made up my own nickname for you. I won’t call you that if you hate it,” said Scott.

“No, I like it actually,” said Tessa with a smile.

“Does it hurt?” asked Tessa, standing next to him.

“It’s okay, not too bad,” said Scott. “I’m an idiot. I was looking to make sure you weren’t hit and I guess I wasn’t paying attention.” He shook his head.

“This whole having a partner thing means there’s not just me to worry about,” he added.

“Yeah. I don’t like seeing you hurt,” said Tessa, biting her lip. “I guess even though I thought I’d be working alone that I like having a partner.” She mumbled the last part, looking away from him.

“I told the Chief I work best alone when he said he was assigning me a partner. But I really like having a partner. I think we work well together,” said Scott.

“Well, partner, can you at least try not to get shot next time?” said Tessa, smiling at him.

“I will do my best,” said Scott with a chuckle.


	3. Stick Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Their next mission brings them face to face with something their training can't truly prepare them for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Agents 14 and 17 continue to learn as new recruits and I enjoy writing them into this universe!

They worked together on every case, the Chief happy with the way they worked together. Undercover or just investigating together, there was an easy flow in the way they worked. They never fought, both had an immense respect for the other and this made them one of the best teams available. Though as juniors, they were far from seasoned spies. They weren’t being sent on cases that were matters of life and death quite yet. The Chief had been choosing suitable cases for them, although he knew the unpredictability of the work they did.

 

CONTROL Headquarters

Tessa and Scott arrived to be briefed, finding the Chief was not in his office. Instead they found Marie-France – the Chief’s wife and a very experienced spy herself, behind the desk.

She stood to go over to the filing cabinet as they sat and Tessa nearly smirked as Scott gaped at her. Marie-France was the type of woman who held the attention of those around her. Her tall and lean figure in a black skirt suit and heels grabbed attention.  Scott quickly lowered his eyes, he wasn’t being inappropriate, he was merely – like everyone else, females included - an admirer of Marie-France. She was well renowned as an expert, she had stories to tell that regaled new recruits and she had taught part of their training. It was everything the recruits could do not to be amazed as she breezed into the room each day, quick-witted and demanding in a non-threatening manner. She wanted them to be the best and knew how to get them there.

Tessa too, admired the older woman. She oozed class and elegance while also being an expert in her field. She wanted to be like her, to have her confidence and success as a spy. She and Scott were doing well and she hoped that when they were more experienced that they could be a team that would stand out to their superiors.

Marie-France and Patrice had worked for numerous agencies – the CIA, FBI, MI6. Disillusioned with the environment, they had worked hard to create their own smaller agency. Not to rival the largest spy organizations in the world, but to foster a better environment for new spies and train them to be the best. They could then leave and be in high demand by other international organizations. Their most senior spies stayed though – they had created an environment that fostered loyalty.

She peered at the team across from her as she sat down again, they were fresh recruits and worked well together. They both looked at her expectantly, and she opened the file, starting to fill them in on their next case.

 

Somewhere in the Northwest Territories (Canada)

Tessa and Scott sat in Tessa’s hotel room, pouring over the information in front of them.

“This is a weapon, it’s certainly a weapon,” Tessa was saying.

“It looks like it and it looks like it would do a lot of damage too,” said Scott, looking at the sketches.

“It’s basically a weapon of mass destruction,” mused Tessa.

Scott looked up at her. “Is it nuclear?” he asked.

Tessa studied the sketches again, her brow furrowed. “Biological I think, but it’s hard to tell from these sketches.”

“We need to track down the missing pieces as soon as possible. This can’t be used,” said Scott.

“We have searched and searched so let’s see what we dig up tomorrow,” said Tessa. “I am so tired,” she added.

“Yeah, it’s been a long week,” said Scott.

He got up, ruffling her hair lightly. “See you in the morning, kiddo,” he said. “Good night.”

“Good night Scott,” said Tessa, smiling at him as she stood also.

He smiled at her once more as he left and she closed the door behind him, knowing he’d wait to hear the lock. She locked it and heard his steps as he went to his room. As much as she’d tried to stop him being protective over the time they’d worked together, he still was. She liked knowing he was looking out for her. Their first two months as secret agents had been something that they’d prepared for with their training but being out in the field full time was still something new to them both.

 

Tessa and Scott ran toward the roller door, they’d just got away from the KAOS agents chasing them and Scott shot the padlock open, the two of them hurrying inside. They were met with what appeared to be an already activated bomb, the numbers counting their way down.

There was a thick steel crate that they guessed housed the weapon. They were planning to set off a bomb right there and cause the detonation of the weapon in the process. Thousands of lives would be lost unless they could disarm this bomb. There was no time to call in the CONTROL bomb squad. It was the two of them against something that neither of them had come up against before outside of their training. Their training didn’t make them experts, it merely made them somewhat familiar with what they were looking at.

Tessa opened the casing, her hands shaking slightly and she took a deep breath to calm herself before looking at the wires she’d exposed.

Scott joined her, his eyes scanning what she’d uncovered and also making sure that there were no agents in the vicinity who were lurking. He had his gun out, ready to take aim if needed.

“Can you work out how to dismantle it?” asked Scott.

He was unsure what to do and was hoping her engineering background would help them.

“I…I’m not sure. It’s different to the ones we studied in training,” said Tessa, eyes intently on the device.

“Yeah, it looks different,” said Scott.

He looked panicked for a moment, then frantically pulled out his phone, trying to at least speak to the bomb squad. There was no service – no signal at all. He swore under his breath. He then engaged his watch which acted as a phone and successfully got through to CONTROL headquarters, on the phone with one of their bomb experts in seconds.

Tessa was busily studying the various wires, her fingers hovering over them, a wire cutter in her other hand. Scott described what they were seeing and Tessa too, spoke softly to their expert back at CONTROL Headquarters. They had just minutes to disarm the bomb and the seconds were ticking away.

There was movement behind them and Scott turned swiftly, seeing a KAOS agent walking in, looking smug as he held a detonator in his hand.

“We will all die together, KAOS will hail me a hero,” he said, a crazy glint in his eye.

Tessa gasped and Scott hesitated in firing, the man’s finger was already on the detonator, he could shoot him dead, but the man could still have the time to press the button.

“Disarm this,” whispered Tessa to Scott.

She whirled around, fixing the agent with a cold stare.

“You don’t want to die, do you? Not really? KAOS won’t mourn you,” she said, trying to negotiate with the man.

“I’ll be a hero…and you two…will be…dead,” said the man, laughing. He made a slashing motion across his throat.

“Your plan has failed,” said Tessa.

“How so? I’m holding this,” said the man, mockingly.

Tessa hoped Scott was having some luck with the bomb as she tried to keep him focused on her.

“You can’t disarm that,” said the man, disinterested as he watched Scott’s unsure movements.

“Enough talk, more action,” he then said, his finger determinedly reaching for the button.

Tessa made a split-second decision, hoping she’d be fast enough to stop the man. She pulled out her gun and shot. The man’s eyes widened as he started falling backwards, the detonator falling from his hand and Scott made a dive for it, not wanting the button to accidentally be pressed as it fell. He caught it, breathing a sigh of relief.

The man was flailing a little, blood spreading across his chest. Scott left him on the ground and rushed back over to the bomb. Tessa was speaking to the bomb expert and she made a cut as she held her breath. She almost closed her eyes to wait for the explosion but none came. She noticed that the device hadn’t shut off however, 30 seconds left, and she held her breath again.

“The blue one I think,” murmured Scott, as he studied the wires by her side.

They didn’t hear the reply from the expert as Tessa looked up at Scott, her eyes terrified, making one final cut on the blue wire. They both braced themselves but there was now silence and the device had turned off. They both let out the breaths they’d been unconsciously holding.

“Good job, T,” said Scott, with a relieved smile.

“You too,” said Tessa.

Turning, they waited for backup to arrive, knowing that soon, the place would be surrounded by CONTROL agents. The man on the ground wasn’t moving, blood had spread its way across his chest and down to the ground. Scott walked over to him.

Tessa seemed frozen to the spot. Her eyes were on Scott as he checked for a pulse and then checked the man’s pockets, pulling out a flash drive, gun and wallet, putting it away as evidence in a clear bag.

Tessa’s eyes seemed unfocused, a paleness in her features. Scott looked up at her as he stood from his position crouched beside the man.

“Is he…” she began, her voice trembling.

“Yes,” he replied gently.

Tessa’s knees buckled and he ran to her side, holding her upright, her breathing nearing the stage of hyperventilation.

“Breathe, Tess,” he said quietly as he led her outside.

She tried to comply, taking shaky breaths.

“Come on, breathe with me,” he said, pulling her into a hug and letting her rest against him. He breathed with her, but Tessa broke down suddenly, unable to keep it together any longer. Sobs started to wrack her body and he held her tighter, letting her sob as he tried to comfort her with his words and with gentle strokes across her back and hair. He could only hold her as tightly as he could and murmur words he hoped would soothe her.

She’d done an incredible job, he was so proud of her. This was simply part of their world now and they’d need to get used to many more deaths no doubt, as they continued working as secret agents. Scott wished he’d pulled the trigger though, he silently wished he had so Tessa wouldn’t now be going through this.  
  
He closed his eyes against his own emotion, determined to keep it together. For Tessa. She needed him and he wasn’t going to leave her side. Not for anything. He was vaguely aware of movement around them, agents had moved in and arrests were being made. He continued to just hold her and both of them were left alone, the agents nearby realising that they needed time, especially when the body was discovered inside the shed. These were relatively new recruits after all and they hadn’t had to deal with death yet in their work. This was the first time.

Scott looked around just in time to see that the bagged body was being carried out on a stretcher. He looked down at Tessa, wrapping her even tighter in his embrace. Her face buried in the front of his shirt, she mercifully missed seeing any of it.  
  
When she looked up at him, her brilliant green eyes rimmed with red, tears on her cheeks and face a bit puffy from crying, she was still the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. He wondered vaguely if his feelings needed to be probed further, if this connection he felt with her, his need to see her smile every day meant something. Deep down he knew it did. But now was not the time to acknowledge it.

 

The flight home was quiet, Tessa didn’t speak much and Scott didn’t force her to talk, he simply stayed by her side as a silent presence. She was restless as she slept and Scott reached over, taking her hand and squeezing gently. She settled a little and he let go, watching her quietly. Getting into Toronto, Scott accompanied Tessa out to meet their driver.

“T…there’s a debrief tomorrow morning with the psychologist. You can speak to her first,” said Scott as he glanced up at her from the email that had popped up on his phone.

He’d called from the airport and advised the Chief of the situation. The Chief had been apprised of the success of the mission and was proud of his two agents but hadn’t realized the effect on Tessa from the initial reports. Scott had filled him in quietly as Tessa had stopped in the airport for a bathroom break.

Tessa nodded. “Do they want us for anything tonight?” she asked.

“No,” said Scott.

Tessa nodded, saying nothing and they met their driver who was supposed to be dropping them each at home. Tessa's modern apartment was first and Scott lived a few suburbs away. They’d spent time together pouring over case files at both their apartments over the last few months.

“I don’t want to be alone,” murmured Tessa as they neared her apartment.

“I’ll stay with you,” said Scott immediately.

“You should go home and rest though, not be here just because I’m weak,” said Tessa.

“You are far from weak,” said Scott, shaking his head.

Tessa nodded, accepting his words as she bit her lip, feeling herself on the verge of tears again.

“Thank you,” she said simply.

Scott murmured the change of plans to the driver and they were both dropped off at Tessa’s apartment. Scott took both their bags, allowing Tessa to go ahead. She unlocked, checking the motion detector by the door. It monitored the apartment in all rooms and she and Scott both had this and various other devices in their apartments for safety. There was no activity and she turned on a few lights.

“I don’t have much in the way of food,” she said apologetically.

“Don’t worry about anything,” said Scott. “Go relax a bit. I’m here,” he added.

Tessa stepped into his embrace briefly, whispering a soft “thank you” against his neck before letting go.

“You hungry?” he asked.

Tessa shook her head dully.

“I’m going to get you something anyway. You might feel like it later,” said Scott.

He placed an order for food and Tessa had got ready for bed when it arrived. Scott made a plate for her and she nibbled on a few spring rolls and had some rice, a bit hungry now that she’d smelled the food. Scott didn’t eat much either. He had enough to keep the hunger pangs at bay and then put everything away in Tessa’s fridge.

 

“I want to go to sleep,” said Tessa quietly as he joined her in the living room.

“Get some sleep,” agreed Scott.

“Um…there’s the guest room for you,” she said softly. “But I’m scared to be alone,” she said, her voice breaking.

“Shhh, it’s okay,” said Scott immediately.

“You get settled into bed and relax,” he said soothingly.

Tessa nodded and he followed her to her room, watching as she settled under the covers. He tucked her in, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead.

“Get some sleep okay,” he murmured.

“You sleep too…I don’t mind sharing,” said Tessa.

Scott smiled and settled on top of the covers rather than underneath, trying to keep the situation as comfortable as possible for her.

Tessa managed a chuckle. “As long as you don’t get cold,” she said.

“I’m fine,” said Scott.

Tessa nodded, settling down to sleep. She couldn’t sleep though, restless and unable to stop the thoughts in her mind. The image of the man falling to the ground, blood spreading over his chest played over and over in her mind. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to get rid of it. Scott wasn’t asleep either, noting her distress.

“T,” he said quietly.

“Sorry I’m keeping you awake,” she said, her voice strained.

“Don’t apologize, come here,” he said.

Tessa looked at him and he opened his arms, sending her an encouraging smile.

Tessa scooted closer and he wrapped his arms around her, smiling as she settled her head on his chest. She burrowed against him and he watched her slowly start to relax and fall asleep as he soothed her. He didn’t dare move, not wanting to wake her. He watched her face, there was still a tightness there, she hadn’t fully relaxed, even in sleep. The secret agent – brilliant and brave Agent 17 had been replaced by this Tessa, vulnerable and needing his support. Both these versions of Tessa, he realized, he was falling in love with…if he wasn’t already.  

 

He woke in the morning to find that Tessa was still asleep in his arms. He marvelled at the feeling of waking up with her for a moment before he masked his feelings, back to just being Agent 14. Her partner and friend.

Tessa stirred, trying to stretch out before she realized that Scott had stayed over. She blushed a little as she moved, getting off his chest.

“Good morning,” he said softly.

“Good morning,” said Tessa. “Thank you for staying with me,” she added.

“No need to thank me,” said Scott.

Tessa nodded and smoothed her hair, getting up from the bed. She went into the bathroom and then returned, finding Scott sitting on the edge of the bed.

She reached out to affectionately ruffle his unkempt hair. He looked tired but mainly he looked worried about her. She pressed a kiss onto his forehead, unable to resist.

“We better get ready to go to headquarters,” she said.

Scott nodded and they both got ready, taking Tessa’s car to headquarters. Before meeting with the Chief, they were both expected to debrief with the psychologist and Tessa went in, Scott reaching out to squeeze her hand encouragingly. He waited an hour before it was his turn and Tessa came out, looking like she’d been crying.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

She nodded, laying a hand on his arm and gently squeezing.

“I’m okay,” she said.

Scott looked at her disbelievingly and she smiled encouragingly.

“Go in, it will help,” she said.

Scott went in for his own debrief, his session not as long as Tessa’s but soon they were both seated in front of the Chief.

“You both did excellent work,” began the Chief, his eyes straying on Tessa. He felt protective of these new recruits, he wanted his agents to be prepared for everything but no amount of training and discussions could prepare agents for the first time they killed someone.

Tessa’s reaction was normal and he hoped that with some counselling that both of them would be ready to face their next mission.

 


End file.
